From Left Field
by Skeren Dreamera
Summary: A Severitus plot… With a twist. Harry almost dies one summer, but when Severus and Harry discover their connection as they work to save the young wizard… They do their level best to keep it to themselves, making sure even Dumbledore doesn’t suspect a thin
1. Prologue

**Title:** From Left Field  
**Author:** Skeren Dreamera  
**Spoilers:** All the way up to book five, though more than a few details might be poked at and changed for my convenience.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters, though I'm the one that says what happens to them.  
**Feedback: **Mickeofas(at)yahoo(dot)com  
**Rating:** R  
**Pairings:** No idea what any current pairings will come to be.  
**Warnings:** There shall be glimpses at Mpreg, slash, and even possible het. I'm not really all that certain as of the moment.  
**Summary:** A Severitus plot... With a twist. Harry almost dies one summer, but when Severus and Harry discover their connection as they work to save the young wizard... They do their level best to keep it to themselves, making sure even Dumbledore doesn't suspect a thing. Luckily for them, Harry has to stay close to his father for a while.  
**Notes:** As per Severitus rules I am linking to the site, here you go: www(dot)geocities(dot)com(backslash)challengefics(backslash)thechallenge(dot)htm  
And another thing! I'm doing a house cup! So put good reviews alright?

Prologue

Harry sat gazing out of his window. So far, this summer had been largely quiet. The Dursleys thought they had someone to fear in Sirius Black still, and Harry had no interest in telling them otherwise. After all, in spite of his anger at the world in general, he still had some sense of self-preservation. There was something in the air that made the green eyed teen twitchy, and it had been going on for the last week. The sensation had bothered him until he put it down to his birthday the next day. Shaking off his thoughts rather forcefully, he turned his attention back to the Transfiguration essay he'd been ignoring for the last hour of morbid thoughts. All they ever did was depress him anyway.

He paused with his quill almost touching the parchment, a frown crossing his face. Had he just thought about his birthday in the same sequence as death? The quill was put aside as he pressed his back to the wall, considering. Yes, he had, he'd thought of his sixteenth birthday in practically the same breath as the dead. He hadn't heard anything from his friends at all that summer, and it only added to the weight he felt. He sent the stupid third day letter, but nothing was ever returned beyond Hedwig at all. Unfortunately, he'd started to rely on the snacks and foods his friends had gotten into the habit of sending him over the summer in previous years.

Though the Dursleys hadn't been starving him entirely, having given him obligatory bread each day, he was much too thin, the sparse diet only serving to make him hungrier, and he didn't move quickly, lest he get dizzy. He hadn't been able to get out of his room in a while anyway though, and the past week had been extremely loud. He didn't know what they were doing downstairs, but they hadn't even fed him for two days now, and it only served to make his dizzy spells more likely. After an inner debate, he decided to put up a fuss in the morning. 

That decided, he turned his attention back to the finishing touches of the homework he could do before school was back in session. There was no point in looking ahead. Doing that had already lost him his family all over again. No, this time he'd ignore the feeling of dread and focus on the now. He'd wait and see what came of it then.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The next day, his birthday, his supposed sweet sixteen, came with unnerving silence. It couldn't have been more than three minutes past midnight, but he heard nothing. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he must have to now be awake. He couldn't place what he should be hearing, but he knew it would come to him soon. It had to be something important.

He was listening so intently that when he heard a flurry of tapping at his window, he about jumped out of his skin in fright. Jerking around to the source of the sound, he quickly hurried to the window to let a heavily loaded eagle owl into his room. He wasn't sure who it had come from, but he could only shake his head as he heard the thump of the feathered creature's burden hitting the floor, him still attached.

Annoyed hooting was what urged him to tug the letter on the bird away from its leg, and he hurried to read the parchment. It was a familiar scrawl.

_Harry! _

We didn't mean to bum on you all summer like that, so we're making the best of leaving you bored out of your mind up 'til now. We've gifted you with a mess of wonderful little creations, compliments of ours truly! There's even a special something in here for today, since we can't play the knights in glossy armor again this year. We'd have nowhere to put you! If you'll wait a token, we'll get to explaining that. Back to the gift. The red ones are transfiguration based, the green ones are charmed candies, and the yellow one is a special. I'd advise springing that one when the house is empty. The orange ones have a gear toward your cousin, and might even do the pudgy brute some good!

Lastly, the ones in silver. Those are for you. The suckers make you three times as fast, the bubbles have a silencing charm effect, and the gloves, yes we know_ we shouldn't have given you silver gloves, even finger-less ones. Those are a rebounding and deflection set. We've been working on them since the ministry mess a couple years back and want you to try them out. The one with a red star on the back is the deflection, and the blue is the rebounding one. We hope you don't need to test them before school. _

Now, as to the other thing we mentioned, the issue of having no room? We tried_ Harry! Something just isn't going right about here. Even Ronniekins is acting a sight freakish from what we've gotten used to. Him and Hermione have finally tried the dating stew, or at least that's we think from how they keep sneaking off together. If they are still acing buggy when school starts, well, not that we want you to spy or anything, but tell us, please! Something happened the first week of summer, and they aren't telling anyone what it was. Well, this has gotten a mite depressing. We'll be seeing you Harry. _

Your Favorites,

Fred and George (George and Fred)

P.S. Ignore that, thanks! And the complete prank and candy list is_ attached._

Harry shook his head with a smile as he read the signature. After scanning the note, he moved back to the overloaded owl he'd left just inside his window and untied the package from its leg. He received an annoyed ruffle of feathers and then the bird turned and flew off through the window without awaiting a reply. He watched the bird leave, then glanced to Hedwig, who was giving him one of those disappointed looks she did so well.

He glanced over to the window once more before walking over to her cage. "Sorry Hedwig, she left a bit quicker than I expected."

All she offered in return was an unhappy hoot, and she closed her golden eyes as though unwilling to look at him. Smiling to himself, Harry turned to the unopened package that lay where it had thumped to the boards. He gave the content list a quick glance over, and what he saw within left him grinning. This would work nicely. He then pulled out the gloves, eyeing them before shoving them in his pocket. He was entirely sure he didn't want to know why they weren't gold. He then put the lid back on his box, deciding to stash them away... Somewhere. He could only shake his head as that concern took care of itself, the box shrinking before his eyes to a size that easily fit beneath the loose floorboard.

When he finished that task, the silence from before again permeated the room, making him a little uneasy. What was he missing? Casting his mind around, he finally realized what it was. He couldn't hear the Dursleys. The overwhelming sensation of something being wrong only increased as he realized that his relatives weren't asleep in their beds. He couldn't go back to sleep either though, so he waited. Surely there would be some indication later in the day.

He waited, but when it started nearing noon, he really had to wonder. The past few days had been noisy, like they were rearranging, but they hadn't ever demanded he come out to help. Between all the shouting, he'd gathered that the idea had been turned down by his uncle. That didn't explain the grating silence though. He'd dealt with it before in fact. They'd locked him in his closet once and left him there for a week that time. They'd gone on a trip.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He hoped it wasn't the case, as he hadn't eaten recently, but he knew he'd be fine. They likely just took a weekend trip. Unfortunately, he really didn't believe himself, and it defeated his efforts. Eyeing the door, he decided to use his mind on something productive, like getting out of the room without using magic. After all, the Weasleys wouldn't be coming to the rescue this time.

To be continued.

Question one: The Dursleys, where are they?

Question two: What's the twist I mentioned on the Severitus idea?


	2. chapter one

**Title:** From Left Field  
**Author:** Skeren Dreamera  
**Notes:** Guys, if you never put your houses in your reviews, then Slytherin will win! I am a Slytherin folks! But just this one time, I won't give them _all_ the points I awarded, just the biggest allotment.

**Slytherin:**15  
**Ravenclaw:** 10  
**Hufflepuff:** 5  
**Gryffindor:** 5

Chapter one

Dumbledore had come down into his dungeons to fetch him not five minutes before, and he could barely keep up with the man as he rushed somewhere else after bidding him to follow. Severus couldn't remember a time when he'd seen the old man so worried. He had managed to get out that his heightened anxiety had something to do with Potter.

As soon as they reached the office, the Headmaster picked up a paperweight, turning to look at the Potions Master as he extended the item. "It will take you directly to Pivet Drive. You need to go quickly, the shields are down and it is under attack."

His eyes widened a fraction as he heard what was going on, then snatched the item from his fingers. He couldn't believe the old fool hadn't brought it with him in such a dire situation. He owed the boy his life, and he wasn't about to let the enemy get to him first. "What's the trigger word?"

"Goblin." He's barely uttered the word before it was repeated and Severus was gone. "Good luck child."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Harry had gotten his thoughts together during the last week of silence. He'd willingly subjected himself to a few of the mess of tricks that the twins had sent him just so his hunger wouldn't overtake him. Of course, the worse part of his predicament was that when the Death Eaters stormed the house, he was already extremely weakened. He was sure he was doomed.

Yanking on the gloves that had been made for him, and shoving a special sucker in his mouth, he got ready for anything. He refused to risk being expelled from Hogwarts for his life. He didn't see how it would be worth it if he was alive with no school, so he ignored his wand. Of course, his skewed logic could easily be the result of his muddled mind. The dizziness he was feeling might also have contributed to the brilliantly stupid choice.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Severus arrived just after Tonks and Moody, only to find them embroiled in a fight. He didn't immediately recognize the sheer volume of fighting space as his concerns were directed elsewhere. Distracted from joining in the fray in front of him by a crash from above, the Professor made his way swiftly up the steps. What he found when he reached the source of the noise was one badly bleeding Harry Potter, maintaining what looked to be some sort of shield as he was cornered by three Death Eaters.

He ground to a halt, being faced with the ultimate choice. Spy duties or helping now. Remembering that it was _Dumbledore_ who was his cause for being here, he put aside his worries, slipping into the fray. It wasn't long before one was disarmed, and the other two were knocked out cold. The one he'd disarmed used the distraction that his companions provided to attack the green eyed boy in a most unwizardly manner. He bodily attacked him, blade in hand.

The teen only had a split second to register the change of attack, and it saved him from having a nasty scar in the future as the wound ended up being struck in his right shoulder. He'd fallen back, letting his knees give out. Unfortunately, this method of dodging didn't prevent him from being stabbed, nor did it save him from smacking his head on the ground hard enough to knock him out.

Severus heard the sound to his side and spun, blasting the attacker into the wall away from his charge. Mere seconds later, the strict man was kneeling by the boy, trying to make sure he still lived. There was far too much blood lost from the boy, it liberally staining the ground around him. It was greatly disturbing that the so called 'Savior' was in such bad shape.

Determining that he wasn't dead yet, he picked the boy up, eyes scanning the room. Flicking his wand, he picked up the shrunken trunk and cage that had served as a partial barricade for the door to the barren room. He was nearly attacked by the white owl in the room as he stood with the teen. "Either land or fly to Hogwarts bird."

After the aggressive hiss, he started twisting the base of the crystal, having exchanged the items in his hand for it quickly. He only just felt the bird on his shoulder when the portkey activated, leaving the room as an abandoned battleground.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

As soon as Severus appeared, Dumbledore was there, trying to determine the state of his prize pupil. "Is he alive?"

The only reply he gave the man was the drop the crystal in his hands on the desk and move for the door, firming his hold on the boy. His breath was barely there at all, and he was turning far to pale for comfort. He was practically running before he even hit the office door on his way to the infirmary.

Unfortunately, about halfway there the dreadful boy decided it would be convenient to stop breathing entirely. He gave him a hard squeeze as he realized. "Damn you! You will not die! You will breathe! That is an order!" He didn't pause when he heard compliance to the half-frightened orders, but he certainly noticed.

He made it to the infirmary just seconds later to find Madam Pomfrey ready and waiting for them. She drew a sharp breath as he took in his appearance. "Oh Merlin!" It was all the shock she allowed herself before setting to word, wand waving to establish a list of injuries. Quickly casting a spell to stop him from bleeding to death, she collected potions to administer, glancing at the list to be sure she had them all as she hurried back.

Severus pulled away as soon as he'd set the teen down, but only got about two steps before his breathing halted again. "Poppy! He stopped breathing again!" He returned, shaking the boy a bit, only for this breathing to resume with the rough touch. The Potions Master growled, hand still on the boy's chest. "Damn you Potter! Even on the bring of death you still manage to play games!"

Poppy was there the next second, taking a quick evaluation of the situation. She flicked her wand to confirm her suspicions. "Severus, sit down. You aren't going anywhere while he's drawing of your life-force. If you try, he'll very likely die." Even as she spoke, she was working on getting a potion into the child.

Slightly shocked, Severus moved out of the way, standing near the foot of the bed with his hand on the teen's too-skinny ankle. "I thought that was only possible with relations and well trusted companions!"

She only spared him a glance before resuming her application of potions to the boy. "Apparently you two are closer than you thought!" She glanced up as another person stepped into the area. "Headmaster, I believe that you are close to Harry, aren't you? The malnutrition he's suffering has seeped into his magic, and he's terribly unstable."

Dumbledore nodded, moving forward to lend his energy, only to get singed fingers as his aid was rather violently rejected. "I fear I can do nothing."

The mediwitch looked to him in confusion only for a moment before looking back at her other candidate for the energy infusion. She set about mending the wound in Harry's shoulder. "Sit and take his hand Severus. It will be a time before you are permitted to go."

Struck mute by the implied trust in his being the aid required when even the headmaster was rejected, he sank into the chair. He didn't remember a point when he'd been trusted with something like this. He was turning it over in his mind as he held the boy's hand. On some subconscious level, the boy trusted him? They'd never gotten along, biting and sniping at each other from the get go. In fact, he was sure the closest they'd gotten to a civil conversation was one without insults.

He was certain he was the hated Professor, and would continue to be so. Then the whelp had to turn and pull a stunt like this. It was things like this that kept him from hating the boy, even if he didn't like him in the least. It was oddly amusing that he couldn't bring himself to hate the brat, even if he was clearly the most trusted person in the room.

Severus watched Madame Pomfrey work after having a blanket tucked around him with instructions to go nowhere. It wasn't very long before her hypnotic motions lulled him off to sleep. That was when the latent spells Harry had on him from birth triggered, and the holding properties they had were fractured. It left the start of a dynamic change as Severus was swamped by a rather informative night vision. It was one he was sure he could sooner have lifted without ever having experienced.

To be continued.

Question one: What happens to Harry?  
Question two: What's in Severus' vision?  
Question three: Why was Dumbledore rejected?


	3. Chapter 2

**Title:** From Left Field  
**Author:** Skeren Dreamera  
**Notes:** I got my first flame ever from dracosballsuture. Please go read the ever so rude comments about poor Sevvie. I mean, he may be an ass, but there was no call for that! Also! The idiot somehow was under the odd impression that Severitus equated to SeverusxHarry? And they gave me bad poetry too! Isn't it so sweet? I'm now officially popular:smirks and shows her sharp teeth: Don't worry kind readers, I only bite when I sense an insult. To they who asked me not to change Harry's eye color. I will apologize now! Mara456... You really seem to know what you're talking about... I thank all beings that I managed to get one over on you now... :pets the nice, extremely overzealous reviewer: I apologize, really really really apologize for how long this took... its been done since I did the last chapter... I just um... kept forgetting to _type_ it... eh heh heh heh?

**Slytherin:** 50  
**Ravenclaw:** 45  
**Hufflepuff:** 5  
**Gryffindor:** 5

Chapter two

Severus looked around, confused as to how he came to be standing in the middle of a lush garden. There was no denying that the area was familiar to him, being a place he'd been before, but he really had no idea how it was he came to be there.

As though he'd been waiting for the confusion to set in, a smooth male voice was heard from behind him. "Hello Severus."

The sight that met the dour man's eyes when he spun around was almost completely unexpected, and his eyes grew wide. "You? You're dead!"

A small, sad smile accompanied the sigh that fell from the other man's lips. The action only made the taller of the two take a step back. "I was rather afraid that might be the case." He gestured at Severus, making it unclear if he'd only been referring to his state of living.

Composing himself from the shock the specter of James Potter had caused him, he gestured about the 'garden'. "Why am I here?"

James' smile faded entirely from his face at that point, and his shoulders slumped. "Because Harry is badly hurt, and I am dead. That's why."

"And what does that mean Potter? Any who would have lent him energy would be where I am now?" A sharp glare accompanied the question.

"No, just you Severus." The dead man moved forward quickly, grabbing onto his shoulder securely as the other hand rose to brush over his forehead. "I've given you many of my memories for a certain space of time. That is part of why I made this place. You won't get them all at once, but expect them to come soon and consistently." A tiny, secretive smirk flitted across his face.

Severus felt odd over the contact, and he jerked back before it could be drawn out for too long. "Why me?"

James let his hands drop the smirk sliding away. "Lily was not, nor ever was, Harry's mother. She loved him like her own, but there was no blood relation between them."

"That is a lie. He has her eyes." Scoffing, the longhaired man shook his head.

"Spells. It was a series of very complicated spells that led to him looking like that. Unfortunately there was no way we were allowed to let anyone know how he'd truly been born. For all the was that we Wizards can do magic, that way is still considered a myth, and we didn't want to risk him being taken away." A helpless shrug accompanied the words.

"Explain! Why am I here?"

That only caused the man to laugh, as it seemed that the other man was missing some grand joke at his expense even now. "Because you, Severus, are Harry's father."

"What? No, that miscreant is not my child. I've no time for your joking." He glared, eyes narrowing as he waited for the _real_ answer.

"You should never get drunk while playing with your potions you know. One such occasion... got rather out of hand you see, and we both drank something we really shouldn't have because you challenged me. All that resulted in Harry, who is, indeed my child."

Severus slowed to a halt, expression turning horrified as he realized the implications. "You mean to tell me that you and I...?" The look on his face drifted from horror to something that was between shock and disgust.

James put his hands on his hips, clearly affronted. "Yes, you and I. I think I got the bad end of things, so don't give me that face. Do you have any idea how horrifying it is to find yourself as a pregnant _male_?"

"That... is completely impossible."

"No, it isn't. Whatever else you are, you are brilliant." James stepped closer, the only area of color as the garden scene faded into blackness. "Just ask for a paternity test for him, and that will prove me true." Suddenly that smirk was back, and he planted a completely unasked for kiss on the Potions Master's lips. "Good bye Severus, it's been fun."

The specter disappeared, and it was only moments later that Severus found himself awake in the hospital wing.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Harry was drifting in the dark, oddly aware of both everything and nothing at all. The moment the knife had come at him, he'd been aware he was in no condition to do anything to stop it. He'd only had a scant moment to appreciate the irony of the situation before darkness had come over him, and that was the last thing he remembered before this. Now all he knew was that he was safe, secure within this warm darkness.

He hadn't just calmly accepted his current position of course. He wasn't familiar with the calm lull of the place, and he'd set out in a search for light, as though trying to become aware of the harshness that was oddly missing. As soon as he'd tried, the soothing quality had gotten overwhelming, making him calm from his almost frantic reaction.

He wasn't sure how long after that it was, but something was finally appearing out of the dark, making him realize he hadn't been in darkness, but had been in a void instead. The fact that he could perfectly see the green-eyed woman was proof enough for that. Taking in her dark red hair and the small smile, he could only stare blankly for the longest time.

"Mom?"

She slid forward, taking his stunned form into a tight hug. "Yes, it's me, heart child."

Harry let out a shuddery breath, hugging her back tightly as he tried to erase the sounds of her death screams from his memory with her voice like this, so gentle, even though it was tinged with sadness. "How? How is this happening?"

Lily ran her fingers through his short hair, studying him intently. "You almost died today Harry."

He leaned into the contact, tilting his head so that he could meet her eyes. He was completely unaware that she wasn't seeing the greed he thought she was. "But... I've been near death before..."

A slightly pained look flitted over her face at hearing this, then she gave him a slight, tight smile. "Not since reaching sixteen you hadn't then. The spells I placed on you will start to deteriorate after this I'm afraid."

Harry gave her a distinctly confused look, shaking his head. "What spells? Surely someone would have noticed..."

Lily just shook her head. "I'm a better witch than that Harry. If I had a mirror, I could show you what you will see in a few months time."

Harry reluctantly pulled back, but he needed to see her properly, and he couldn't when hugging her so tightly. "I don't think I understand mom, explain?"

"That's just it Harry, my heart child. I'm not blood kin to you. I would be so proud to be your mother, you're such a lovely child, but you weren't born from me." Seeing his dumbstruck look, she ran her fingers over his cheek gently. "You're a little miracle. You didn't need a lady to be your mother, James did that. I was your godmother. I promised to keep you safe and care for you like my own, so I'm sure I was there right to the end... Otherwise I wouldn't be _here_. I would never have left you to this otherwise."

He shook his head, blinking rapidly at the blurring that interfering with his vision. "But, how?"

Lily drew him into a secure hug, closing her eyes as he pressed a kiss to his hair. "You daddy is a special man. He didn't mean for you to happen, and I expect that he might never have known. That didn't stop you from happening though. Please, don't cry, I don't want you to cry." As she pulled back, a tanned hand brushed at the tears that had escaped.

"I don't have anybody left! You were my mom. I never knew you. James was my dad. I didn't know him either! Sirius is dead! I don't have anyone! Not even the Dursleys stayed around!" He was almost shouting through his tears at that point, shaking his head a little as he took a few shallow breaths.

"Oh dear child..." The green eyed woman seemed genuinely stunned, and she drew him close a final time. "My dearest heart child. You aren't alone. Even with so much pain and loss, you aren't alone. Your father is still alive. If he wasn't touching you, then this wouldn't have been activated. Give him a chance. Even if you don't know him, please, give him a chance."

Closing his eyes against the tears and the hope, he gave her a shaky nod. "I'll try..." She let go.

Lily's voice remained, and he felt that he shouldn't open his eyes, knowing somehow that she wouldn't be there. "Good bye Harry. Remember we love you, all of us."

Harry strained to hear for a moment, but there was nothing else. She was well and truly gone.

After a span of time, he felt warmth. At first it was hard to pinpoint, but he realized it felt as though someone was holding his hand. The pain that he'd been sheltered from eased back into his awareness as well, but it was muted under the distraction that was being caused at his side. Turning his head, he cracked his eyes open cautiously, unsure if he wanted to know who was there.

Immediately his gaze, darkened just a hint from green to a shade of blue-green, met eyes that were disturbingly familiar. Dark, hard onyx. The only thing out of place was the strange look that he was wearing. That, and the question as to why he was holding his hand.

To be continued.

Question one: How does Severus react?  
Question two: What does Poppy arrange?  
Question three: What kind of person is the portrait on Severus' rooms?


End file.
